New Medieval Books: The Vikings in Poland

The Vikings in Poland

By Leszek Gardeła

Routledge
ISBN: 978-1-138-34939-1

Drawing on a wide range of archaeological evidence, this book offers a detailed reconstruction of the Norse presence in the region of present-day Poland. It sheds new light on their material culture, religion, and interactions with both local populations and the emerging Polish state.

Excerpt:

This study begins with a chapter detailing the long history of Viking studies in Poland extending from the period of National Romantic fascination with the North among poets, writers, and painters, through the ideologically motivated Nazi excavations during the Second World War, to the changes that occurred in the communist times and after Poland’s accession to the European Union. This broad historiographic overview is intended to illustrate and critically explain the various controversies that have arisen over the years regarding the character and importance of Scandinavian presence in Central Europe. It also seeks to dismiss some outdated and misleading opinions on the matter which to this very day tend to resurface in the media as well as in publications written by amateur historians.

Who is this book for?

When a leading scholar of Viking history refers to a work as his “magnum opus,” it warrants serious attention. This volume is poised to become a foundational text for the study of Norse influence in Poland and Eastern Europe, as well as a significant contribution to the broader field of Viking and medieval studies. The amount of archaeological research being used here is impressive.

The Author

Leszek Gardeła is currently based at at Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich and heads the Slavs in the North project. He offers these thoughts about the book: “After more than two decades of research across Europe, The Vikings in Poland emerges as my most important and ambitious work to date. This book reshapes everything we thought we knew about Scandinavian–Slavic encounters, revealing a nuanced and previously untold story of cultural interaction.”

You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.

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